Only in America! For better or worse, American political campaigns for President start ramping up two years before the election takes place. Now you’d think that if one year were spent seeking the most qualified candidates to be found in the entire country, another year would be more than sufficient for the candidates to sort out and implement their political campaign strategies.

That’s not how it works. Beginning two years prior to the actual voting date, well heeled people already prominent in political circles begin by announcing their candidacy. Following the announcement, rounds of fund raising parties are held to build up the coffers of the candidates, who essentially nominated themselves. Independents and unknown people, while potentially superbly qualified, don’t stand a chance. Why? No one will give them money. “Who’s he?”

Political campaign strategies seem to first rely on name and face recognition. This seems to fly in the face of our basic American values. When we apply for a job, the employer generally doesn’t know or recognize us. The employer is looking for the best qualified person for the position, not a household name. So why doesn’t this fairness and diligence extend to the highest office in America?

So, on to step two. When the candidates have gathered sufficient funds to launch their campaigns, they seem to put a metaphorical wet finger up to the breeze to gauge the American sentiment. What are the big issues? What does the public really get riled up about? Last year, Iraq was large in the mind of the public, as was senior medical care. The Katrina disaster, so representative of the crumbling infrastructure, was already fading as a kitchen table topic. So the candidates went with what resonated with the public and formulated their initial political campaign strategies.

In the previous Presidential election, negative political campaign strategies became a big no-no with the public. So this season’s political campaign strategies avoid such shenanigans like the plague. Discontented voters won’t vote for the person with negativity.  It does seem that political campaign strategies are formulated to please the greatest number of voters. Truth and conviction often take a back seat to expediency.

To be fair, some candidates do stand on truth and their solid convictions, much to their detriment. Political campaign strategies live and die on the turn of a phrase or the number of television ads placed. Somehow, this doesn’t seem to be the best approach to elect a President worth his or her salt.  This year, Iraq has begun to fade from the public’s mind for lack of television exposure. Now, we hear a more generalized call for change, which forms a loosely defined catch all box for the current political campaign strategies. What’s an ordinary voter to think?

There is no greater buzzword than fuel economy. Although people have been worried about fuel mileage for years, up until recently we assumed that our concerns were temporary. We would worry about gas mileage whenever there was a spike, but as soon as the prices went down again, we would get back into our gas guzzling trucks and go for a spin. Intellectually, most of us have known for some time that the fossil fuels are running out. We have known that, sometime sooner or later, we would have to switch to some kind of alternative fuel. Nonetheless, this concern has always seemed remote and abstract most people. Recently, it has become a much more immediate concern.

My cousin is a perfect example. As a contractor, fuel mileage plays an important role in his everyday life. He has always loved driving big trucks, both because of his appreciation of their looks and also because they are great for building contractors like him. But lately, he has become completely neurotic about fuel mileage. He actually bought a device that automatically logs business gas mileage. At first I thought this was neurotic, until he explained how much profit gas eats up. It is quite a bit more than you would expect, especially if you are frequently required to drive an hour or more to your job site.

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to make a good informed decision about alternative fuels. They have simply not been available for that long. Bio-diesel sounds good in theory, but in the end, won’t it pollute just as badly as gasoline? As for electric and hybrid cars, although there are a few working examples, they are still far from taking over the market. In the past, many of us imagined that electric vehicles would be ubiquitous by this day and age. Needless to say, that hasn’t happened.

Short of switching to bio-diesel or some other alternative fuel, there is a lot that you can do to try to keep track of your fuel mileage and improve it. One of the best things to do is to switch to a more conservative driving style. Although this may look like a stop gap measure, in fact you can do a world of good. Just slowing down a few miles an hour during the morning rush can save you hundreds of dollars of gas a year. Defensive driving isn’t only safer, it is also better for the environment and for your pockets!

With the current instability in oil prices, many everyday expenses become difficult to budget. The price of gasoline is unpredictable and this volatility extends to the airline industry, so if you’re shopping for cheap flight tickets, it can be a nightmare.  Finding your way around the airline industry’s pricing can make you want to tear your hair and scream, “Mercy!” Between travel agents, auction sites, reverse auction sites, consolidators and airline restrictions, you can easily be driven to distraction, spending days or weeks trying to find the elusive cheap flight tickets. When all is said and done, you find your seat mate paid half of what you figured was the rock bottom price!

One option you may not have considered is courier flights. Courier flights, in some cases, are absolutely free! True, these free flights aren’t hanging on every corner, but they do happen. At worst, you’ll pay half price. Many times, you’ll find cheap flight tickets to international destinations for as little as $100! So what’s the catch? You need to be ultra flexible, able to leave on a moment’s notice and prepared to travel with only a carry on. If you’re determined to find cheap flight tickets, courier flights are the no hassle way to go!

So just how does this work? What sounds too good to be true is, actually, true. Courier companies are bonded and legal. The company has important documents or goods that are time sensitive and must be delivered by hand within a short time frame. The company’s reputation rests on their ability to deliver on time.  Enter you, the savvy traveler, willing to take the 2 am. flight to London on short notice with your carry on, ferrying the goods or documents to their urgent destination. For these minor inconveniences, you typically receive round trip cheap flight tickets at half price or less, with a stay of anywhere from a week to three months! Once you’ve delivered your documents or goods to their destination, you’re free as a bird.

You’ll need to make your own arrangements for hotels and transportation once you arrive at your destination, but this is not difficult. Search the net or buy a book that gives you the scoop on suitable housing. Make sure your passport is in order. Cheap flight tickets make your traveling dollar go so far, you just can’t lose.  So how do you initiate a booking as a courier? Look in any major city newspaper for ads. Courier flights to world destinations are easily found leaving from New York, Los Angeles or San Francisco.

The only major restrictions you need to worry about are age and your own reliability. Almost always, you must be 21 to qualify for these cheap flight tickets and must show up on time. If you’re a no show, you may be black balled from future assignments.  These requirements are fairly easy to meet, with you the beneficiary of the elusive cheap flight tickets. Not a bad deal!

The bookstore I used to work in had a bunch of buying guides for used motorcycles lying around. I had never really been interested in buying motorcycles before, or even in motorcycles themselves. I wasn’t much of a car kid, and I got around very well on my bicycle. One day I started looking through these motorcycle guides on a whim. I was pretty bored and had just finished reading a novel and didn’t want to start anything new.

I was completely stricken by the beauty of the bikes in that guide. I immediately started thinking about buying motorcycles. I am impulsive sometimes, and I thought that the desire to buy a motorcycle was something that would come and go pretty quickly. When I was still thinking about buying a motorcycle a couple weeks later, I knew that this was more than just a passing fancy. I knew that I would have to save up some money and buy myself a nice road bike.

Buying used motorcycles is usually the best approach when you are just starting. I did not know anything about buying motorcycles, so it was good that I met someone who did. One of my co-workers, it turned out, was a big motorcycle aficionado. When I told him that I was thinking about buying motorcycles, he immediately set me down and chatted me up about it. He asked me a bunch of questions about what I wanted and I quickly realized how ignorant I was. He gave me the lowdown and showed me how to pick out the right bike, even offering to accompany me to the motorcycle dealer.

At one point, he asked me if I was really serious about buying motorcycles. I was so vague about what I wanted that it seemed to him like I hadn’t really made up my mind. I sat down and thought about it one Sunday. Did I really want to ride a motorcycle if it meant having to pay for insurance and upkeep? Then I heard the sound of someone’s souped up racing bike driving past, and I felt like it was a sign.  I knew that I had to follow through with buying motorcycles, at least to try it out for myself. The very next week, I found the perfect bike to begin riding on. Soon, I had it tuned up, polished and all ready to go. I have been riding a motorcycle ever since.

If you’ve been online for any length of time you’ll have noticed advertisements promising the chance to make money at home. With many people losing their jobs, the idea of being able to make some income from the computer seems like a great thing.  Many companies that promise the chance to make a large income at home are actually looking to take your money away from you. They may request an up front fee before you can begin working for them. These are the jobs that you want to avoid. You should never have to pay another person to make money online.

Paid online surveys are actually a legitimate way to make a few dollars while you are sitting at your computer. Although most paid online surveys won’t make you rich, they will afford you some extra spending cash.  The idea behind paid online surveys is very simple. Companies are looking to better their business. They want to know how they can do this. By creating a survey that potential customers can take, a business can begin to understand what they need to do to improve their sales.  With a compilation of several surveys all with similar answers, this helps a company realize where they can make improvements. It actually results in a better experience for future clients and customers of that business.

There are several websites that offer their visitors the chance to take paid online surveys. How these usually work is the visitor fills out a request form that includes their personal information and any specific areas of interest. When a survey comes up that matches that person’s demographic group and interest, they are offered the opportunity to participate in that paid online survey.  Some examples of industries that utilize paid online surveys are car manufacturers, delivery companies, airlines and hotels. If you have a strong interest in one of these businesses when a survey is made available you will be contacted and asked to participate.

Most paid online surveys take a bit of time to complete. They aren’t one or two pages in length, but tend to be several pages of very detailed questions. The questions are normally followed by several available answers. Some paid online surveys offer the consumer the chance to rate things. The rating scale is usually between five to ten stars.

Paid online surveys are an easy way for someone who spends time at a computer to make a little extra income. They are also a great method of sharing your opinion and really knowing that someone is taking your suggestions into consideration.

Being a certified bookkeeper is probably one of the most important and widely used positions in the business world. As many people may already know, there is no requirement that you need to be certified if you want to work as a bookkeeper. Being a certified bookkeeper does come with it’s advantages though. By being certified, it proves that you can handle the books for any company with many employees. It also ensures an employer that your work meets the highest national standards out there.

There are steps that have to be taken to become a certified bookkeeper. This keeps some people from pursuing the title. If you obtain the title, although not necessary, it can take you a long way in your career and help to land you jobs that are in high demand. To become a certified bookkeeper, you need to pass three separate tests and agree to a code of ethics by signing them. Another qualification factor in obtaining the title is having at least two years of previous work experience.

If you notice, there is no requirement to the type of education you have, so essentially anyone with the knowledge it takes to be a bookkeeper can become a certified bookkeeper. In other words someone who has no college education but has 15 years of work experience as a bookkeeper can still take the tests, sign the code of ethics and become a certified bookkeeper. Just like someone who was educated in college to do the job.

Although working in the bookkeeping field does not require you to be a certified bookkeeper, there are certainly some advantages to having the title. First and foremost, potential compensation for your work can be greatly increased a lot faster than a bookkeeper that is not certified. A certified bookkeeper is usually also the one at the top of the list for advancement opportunities within a company and is generally trusted more than a bookkeeper who is not certified.

At the end of the day it comes down to who is most qualified for a working position as a bookkeeper, but you can bet that if competition is between a bookkeeper who is not certified and one who is, the certified bookkeeper will probably get the job. That isn’t to say a certified bookkeeper will always get the job with no doubts, it just means they certainly have more of a chance to land the job than someone without the credentials to back themselves up.

Bad personal credit can be a heavy burden for anyone to carry.  If you’ve ever missed payments or had checks returned because your account was short on funds, than you might have bad personal credit.  The first step in determining whether or not you have bad personal credit is to receive a credit report.  There are many companies that for a fee, will run a credit report on you.  This credit report is a very important document and will give you a better sense of your own personal credit standing.  It can be useful when it comes time to apply for a loan or a mortgage.  Each credit report will give a rating on the customer.  If you have bad personal credit your rating will be low.

There are steps you can take to improve bad personal credit but it’s important to know that there is no overnight solution.  It’s a process that takes time and a commitment to following a few rules.  You might want to consult with a credit counseling service.  These services are generally free or very low priced and they will assign you an individual who will help you develop a plan to pay off your current debt and work to stay out of any future debt.

Bad personal credit can mean that you might have difficulty in obtaining a credit card.  Credit cards are essential to many things including traveling.  If you want a credit card but you have bad personal credit you’ll have to consider applying for a secured credit card.  Secured credit cards require a deposit that is equal to the spending limit.

Although it may seem counter productive to use money as a deposit on a credit card, you should instead consider it an investment.  It’s an investment in your financial future.  A secured credit card is still considered a credit card.  Making the payments on time and not exceeding the credit limit, you’ll be rebuilding your credit.

It can be frustrating to realize that you have bad personal credit, but it is not the end of the world.  By investing time and energy into rebuilding your credit you can one day wipe the slate clean.  Forget to pay a bill now and then happens, but over time those neglected bills can add up and not just in a monetary sense.  The best possible solution to bad personal credit is to never allow yourself to miss a payment or exceed a credit limit again.

Have you ever been to Sam’s Club or maybe Costco on occasion? These are prime places where many of us go to buy in bulk. This is somewhat of a new concept. I have to admit it’s rather handy to pick up large quantities of things, as opposed to heading out every week for the typical products. If this is a new concept to you, then I have to tell you - you’re missing out. Not just on particular products, but on saving money. When you buy in bulk, you save some serious dough and valuable time in the process.

I recall back in the 90s when I first spotted a Sam’s store. What in the world was this? As I stepped in I thought it was some sort of supplier for stores like Wal-Mart or Target. Well needless to say, I was wrong. This was indeed a place where anyone could go and buy in bulk. Now, I have to admit, there are specific products that I prefer to buy in bulk. Come on, who wants to run to the local grocery store every week for toilet paper and paper towels? It’s so much easier to buy a gargantuan pack of these babies at the local Costco. One thing that you should know about if you’ve never ventured out to these superstores before is the membership. You do in fact need to get a membership card and yes there is a reasonable annual fee involved. I suggest to anyone who has even considered buying in bulk, to check out the store and what it has to offer before dismissing the concept altogether.

When you buy in bulk at Sam’s or Costco, you are not limited to tissues and fruit drinks. These stores are basically like supermarkets on steroids. That’s why so many people love them. You can step inside and purchase a huge box of breakfast bars or maybe a large quantity of cheese if you desire. Most food items are easily found in these bulk stores. I was in awe of the 2 gallon tub of gummy worms I once found in Sam’s. Ah, it’s always those little things.

Anyway, if you do not buy in bulk yet, you may want to consider it, even if it’s only for the minor household items. The Internet is also a great place to search if you want to buy in bulk from home. Virtually anything your heart desires can be found in cyberspace. You can find it all from bulk coffee beans to bulk chocolates. The possibilities are endless. Save some cash today and buy in bulk.

Whenever I find myself in a new city, working from there for an indeterminate length of time, I often trade my usual cell phone number for a pre-paid cell phone. The reasons for this are many, but the over riding factor is that I find pre-paid cell phones to be cheaper and more convenient in the short term. The nature of my job is such that it takes me to several parts of the country. And I remain in some cities for periods ranging from a few days to several weeks. Initially, I used to carry out my communication with the headquarters and the branch offices through my regular cell phone. But the long distance calls and roaming charges were expensive. Which is why, upon discussion with the finance guys, I decided to go in for a pre-paid cell phone.

I find pre-paid cell phones to be extremely convenient. For one thing, they are literally ready to go from the moment I buy them. I can drop by at any of the dealerships of the numerous cell phone companies, check the charges to find which are the best and just buy one off the shelf. It takes little more than a valid drivers license to buy a pre-paid cell phone in most states. And the phones are ready to go from the very moment I switch them on. I quickly send out a message to the headquarters informing them of my new number and get on with my work.

The pre-paid cell phone makes it easy for me to keep in touch with my local contacts. They no longer have to use costly airtime to get in touch with me and I am a locally available resource to them. For headquarters, as their calls to me are more infrequent, the cost difference works in their favor. Next, I don’t have to pay monthly subscription charges on a pre-paid cell phone unlike the one I pay on my regular cell phone. So the value of my pre-paid cell phone is almost all of what I paid for it. No additional fees. No unused balances. Finally, I can limit the usage of my pre-paid cell phone to get the most from it. If I know I am going to be in a city for a short duration, I can load my pre-paid cell phone with lesser amounts. If I know I am going to be there for a longer duration, I put in more money.

There are some disadvantages to a pre-paid cell phone too. They are for instance, not very affordable for extended periods of time. And, being pre-paid, the charges per minute are much higher than on long term plans. But if used right and with care, you can get a lot more from your pre-paid cell phone than a regular connection. Trust me. I have been doing it for a couple of years now.

Where do you shop these days? To me it seems that tons of people still tread out to the local shopping mall. On the rare occasion that I should go there, gargantuan crowds of people are always about. This surprises me when you can purchase items of any kind for so much less now. Don’t get me wrong, I see why loads of female shoppers still have to make sure things look right and fit right by trying them on in some dressing room. This still doesn’t explain all of the buying. Doesn’t anyone know about the Internet yet? If you try buying online, I seriously doubt you will regret it. In fact, you will save a ton. The great thing about the World-Wide-Web is that you can always find the lowest price.

Are you tired of malls and shopping centers? Are you fed up with dense crowds and circling around and around to locate a parking space? Then try buying online. I don’t really care what it is you are looking for, you will find it in cyberspace. You see, the problem with shopping malls is their limitation factor. Only so many things can fit in one and by no means do they have everything that everyone wants. Well, you may think there is no such place that does. I beg to differ. The Internet has everything. It doesn’t matter if you’re in search of a new car or a pizza from down the street. The best part is the simplicity and convenience. You can do it all from the comfort of your own home.

Around six years back, I finally started doing 90 percent of my buying online. It doesn’t matter if my wife wanted a fancy watch at Nordstrom’s, because I would hop online and find it for half the price. Buying online just makes sense. Who wants to spend 600 bucks on a necklace when they can get the same item online for $300? The world is now at our very fingertips. If you can’t find something in a mall, don’t worry about it. Have you checked the infinite online companies? Punch in a few keywords and start buying online for a fraction of the cost. This way you simply pick it up from your doorstep. If you’ve never attempted buying online because you thought it was complicated, think again. You probably have a computer in your home with Internet access. Pop open Google and do a quick search. It’s all available in cyberspace. Don’t continue to get ripped off by sales people in department stores. Start buying online today.